Robert Wilson

Robert Larry Wilson, 81, of Storm Lake died Jan. 9, 2026, at Accura Healthcare of Aurelia.

Funeral services will take place Friday, Jan. 23, at 11 a.m. at United Methodist Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be Saturday, Jan. 24, at 10:30 a.m. in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Omaha, Neb. Visitation will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. prior to the service at the church. Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.

Robert Larry Wilson was born June 1, 1944, at Emmetsburg to Frank and Ruth (Follett) Wilson. His earliest years were on the farm between Newell and Sac City. The family moved to Storm Lake before he started school.

During his youth he enjoyed playing baseball, fishing, hunting and exploring along the shores of Storm Lake. He graduated from Storm Lake High School with the class of 1962, the last class that graduated from the old high school building. He was one of the three boys in his class named Robert Wilson. He went on to attend Iowa State University and graduated in 1965 with a BS degree in mathematics.

He began his career as a computer programmer/analyst with Western Electric, a subsidiary of AT&T, in Omaha, Neb. Although his job didn’t change, the company did. After the breakup of the Bell System, the Western Electric name was dropped. A few years later, AT&T spun the Omaha Works and most of its other manufacturing facilities into a new company Lucent Technologies which in turn later spun them off as still another company Avaya. As rumors of another spinoff surfaced and an offer to retire was made, he chose to retire in 2001.

Bob was married to Saundra Beth Harry on Dec. 23, 1967. Three children arrived to bless this marriage: Michael, Laurel and Greg. He was particularly proud of his family. All of their children were members of the National Honor Society and graduated from college. Both of his sons achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

His wife Saundra passed away on Feb. 12, 1990, just months before his oldest son Mike graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and youngest son Greg graduated from high school in Omaha two days apart.

On Jan. 5, 1991, Bob was married to Joyce Goldman. They moved to Storm Lake at the end of 2001. Together they have enjoyed more than 27 years together.

Bob has been a lifelong member of United Methodist Church and has served on many committees and chaired many of them at one time or another. He has faithfully served the United Methodist Men as president for many years in both Omaha and Storm Lake. One of his proudest achievements was to have been awarded the “Golden Rule Award” with the rest of his family at Hanscom Park United Methodist Church in Omaha. He served as a lay member of the annual conference in both Nebraska and Iowa.

While living in Nebraska, Bob coached Girl Scout softball and was an assistant Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts. He spent a week in Boy Scouts camp for at least 10 years. After he returned to Iowa, he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and was a mentor with the Community Education program.

Bob liked to read the Bible (actually he listened to an audio version most of the time). He typically read the entire Bible two to five times a year.

Bob was diagnosed twice with cancer and survived them both.

Bob is survived by his son Mike Wilson of Las Cruces, N.M.; daughter Laurel Wilson of Papillion, Neb.; and Greg (Tena) Wilson of Ames; eight grandchildren; brothers, Donald (Lynn) Wilson of Palatine, Ill., and Timothy (Heidi) Wilson of Duluth, Minn.; special friend, Connie Herpst; siblings-in-law, Jim Ebbenga and Mary A. Wilson; many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Preceding him in death were his parents; second wife Joyce Wilson; sister Rosalie Ebbenga; brother Richard Wilson; and his first wife Saundra Wilson.